It had to be done. Our 11 baby chicks, now officially 5 weeks old as of today, were getting way too big for the brooder in our basement.
Every time I'd try to feed them or change their water, put down new bedding, etc., they'd try to get out. I'd had several close calls within the past week. This morning, I went downstairs only to find one chick was sitting ON TOP of the brooder. In assessing the situation, it looked like it had found a crack / opening at the top of the brooder (that's always been there by the way) and figured its way out. Fortunately, I was able to get a hold of the chick and put it back with the others. I jerry-rigged a fix and then set to thinking about what I needed to do to move them to their new and more appropriate home and how I'd go about doing it all by myself.
The process wasn't pretty and it sure did scare my little chicks, but I did manage to get them into their new home all by myself. (While Ed and I had previously decided to move the chicks to their new home this weekend, it just couldn't wait any longer...things were starting to come to a head so to speak; trials and tribulations were accelerating)
To start, I had to lighten the load of the brooder cage by taking everything out but the birds - including the layers of bedding so that I could drag the cage out our basement patio doors to the driveway. Then I got our farm pick-up and barely managed to lift the brooder cage onto the back (birds and all). Then I drove us all over to the coop. It was easier unloading the brooder cage from the pick-up than it was loading it in the first place. Then I dragged it over to and up into the coop. Once in the coop, I took the lid off and left them alone for a little while (about 30 minutes or so). My thought was that they'd find their way (fly) out of the coop. When I returned, they were still in their cage so (albiet a little more lively and curious), I tilted things slowly but surely and they eventually came out.
I still keep checking on them (hours later - same day). They still haven't explored the whole coop yet. They've found their food, water, and grit though (I've set up stations in a couple different areas of the coop). My guess is that they're still recovering from their trauma.
I'll keep them in the new coop for a couple of days (or more?) and then we can start letting them out during the day (on Saturday, Ed will be putting up a tarp for them to go under for both shade and as birds of prey protection).
Hindsight is 20/20 and input from others, while valuable, is sometimes too late. While explaining how I managed to move the chicks to Ed, he noted that he's read where it's helpful to cover the cage with a blanket or towel when moving birds as it helps to cut down some on the stress. Note made to self for "next time".
Fingers crossed that when I go check them again this evening and again in the morning all will be good and they'll be getting to know their new home even more.
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